As examples of phlegmatized compositions which preferably may be manufactured according to the invention mention might be made of octonal and hexotonal in which there is normally included octogen and hexogen, respectively, as well as TNT, powdered aluminum and a phlegmatization agent normally in the form of wax. For octogen and hexogen, there are military standards which require that these substances be phlegmatized with one or other of a number of defined wax qualities. The commonest is petroleum wax, but also acid wax, ester wax or their combinations may occur. Besides, the phlegmatization of ocotogen, hexogen and PETN crystals etc, by a granulation process, and coacting of these with a fusable substance such as a wax or the like is a sine quanon in order that such crystalline explosives can be melted together at all, or be compacted to form unitary blasting charges or explosive devices. In such an event, the phlegmatization agent serves as a binder, and in compaction, also as a lubricant.
Plastic bound explosives or PBX also consist of crystalline or otherwise particulate explosive substances such as hexogen, octogen or PETN which however are agglutinated and fused to the desired charge sizes and configurations with a suitable plastic as binder and by compaction and possibly the employment of heat. As examples of plastic binders for PBX, mention might be made of Nylon and polystyrene. Particulate, non-explosive substances such as powdered aluminum and graphite may also be included in PBX. In purely general terms. These plastic bonded explosives (PBX) are produced by adding a plastic solution or dispersion to an aqueous slurry or dispersion of the contemplated crystalline and/or particulate explosive, whereafter the solvent or dispersion agent in which the explosive was dissolved or dispersed is driven-off or otherwise removed under continous agitation, whereupon the plastic binder in its turn is caused to deposit on the explosive crystals or particles. As a rule, the plastic coating also gives rise to a certain granulation, as the discrete crystals or particles are baked together to form granules. These plastic-coated granules may then, be compaction and heat, be baked together into blasting charges or explosive devices of the desired size and shape.
As has been mentioneed above, there are military specifications which require that octogen and hexogen--even in bulk form--must be phlegmatized with a wax which meets certain standards. There is a plurality of wax types employed to this end, of which mention might be made of Wax Composition 1 and D2, but other wax types may also come into consideration. Normally, the phlegamtization of octogen and hexogen is effected in wet granulation in water in which the wax is batched to the aqueous bath whose temperature is raised to such a point at which all wax is melted, whereafter the temperature of the water is successively reduced so that the wax is deposited on the explosive crystals. A uniform distribution of the phlegamtization agent over the crystals is obtained by suitable agitation and temperature regulation of the granulation suspension. To a certain degree, it is also possible by these means to govern the size of the thus obtained granules.